Chilika 'Wonder' Lake. Review on Ebay

''A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.''

The Chilika lake is all that and much more. Located to the South West of Puri, in Orissa, it is Asia's largest inland salt-water lagoon studded with small islands, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a sandy ridge. Covering an area of about 1100 sq. km., the lake is about 70 km by 20 km and interestingly is only 4 to 5 feet deep!

The atmosphere is serene and undisturbed amidst the blue expanse of water on one side and an evergreen range of hills on the other. The Lake is dotted with a host of islands. Kalijai island, Breakfast island (there sure is one by that name!), Nalabana (island of reeds), Honeymoon island (yes, there is one by that name too :) ), Parikud island, Birds island, etc. are some of the beautiful spots around the lake.

The lake is roughly pear-shaped having its wider end towards the north-east and the conical end towards the south-west. It is about 72 km long (north to south) of which the northern half has a mean breadth of 32 km, while the southern half tapers into an irregularly carved point barely averaging 8 km in width. Its extent varies in the dry and wet seasons between about 560 and 1100 sq. km. and is about 32 km wide at its broadest.

It has been formed due to the silting action of the Mahanadi river, which drains into the northern end of the lake, and the northerly currents in the Bay of Bengal, which have formed a sandbar along the eastern shore leading to the formation of a shallow lagoon. The lake is divided into an outer channel with a narrow neck leading into the sea and the main body of the lake with a muddy bottom rich in organic matter.

The lagoon is a unique assemblage of marine, brackish and fresh water eco-system with estuarine characters. It is one of the hotspots of biodiversity. It is an avian grandeur and the wintering ground for more than one million migratory birds. Due to the varying degrees of salinity in different parts of the lake, the fauna is interestingly diverse, with a variety of animals adapting to a marine or riverine existence to survive in different parts of the lake. Animal life recorded in the lake ranges from planktonic microorganisms to a vast variety of fish, which together sustain the migratory birds population in winters. Nature is the art of God. It sure is.

The deepest part of the lake is at Kalijai. It is famous as a centre of religious worship due to the temple of Goddess Kalijai where a big fair is held on the occasion of Makar Sankranti that falls on January 14th every year. The island of Nalabana occupies a unique place in the vast expanse of Chilika Lake as it happens to be the central point for the birds.

The chief attractions during winter include peach coloured flamingoes, grey-legged geese and Siberian cranes. Birds like white-bellied sea eagles, purple moorhen; jacana, herons add to the delight. A few estuarine turtles and snakes are found here along with species of dolphins, otters and several rodents, bats and sloth bears on the hills. Around 158 species of fishes and prawns have so far been recorded. Compact gregarious flocks of Brahminy Ducks, as well as Shovellers, Pintails, Gadwall, Teals, Pochards, Geese and Coots, can be seen all around Nalbana island.

A 32 km long, narrow, outer channel connects the lagoon to the Bay of Bengal, near the village Motto. Keeping the outlet open poses problems because of the offshore current. The mouth frequently gets choked up and has to be cut open artificially, often by the local fisherfolk, whose livelihood depends critically on maintaining an access for the sea to enter Chilika.

And one can believe that the efforts are persistant to keep the marvel alive. Chilika, with its unique characteristics and awesome beauty is most definitely one the best places to be ''Far from the Madding Crowd'' :) (if am allowed to use the name of Hardy's classic)